Cup dispenser



Oct, 2, 1934. J E FSNYDER- I 1,975,649

CUP DISPENSER Filed April 22, 1933 INVENTOR 294i: AITORNEYS PatentedOct. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE CUP DISPENSER Application April 22, 1933, Serial No.667,366

8 Claims.

This invention relates to devices fordispensing paper drinking cups andis particularly adaptable to what are known in the art as freedispensers.

The present invention is in the nature of an improvement over the deviceset forth in Letters Patent No. 1,058,787, patented April 15, 1913, forCup dispensing device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a structure which issimple and durable and which permits of economic and rapid production,and .more particularly one in which the relatively fragile moving partsmay not be easily tampered with or put out of adjustment eitherintentionally or unintentionally.

Another object is to provide a device which may be readily andeconomically adapted to dispense a plurality of sizes of cups.

The invention consists in the novel features, arrangements andcombination of parts embodied by way of example in the apparatushereinafter described as illustrating the preferred form of theinvention, and the invention will be more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

Further and more specific objects, features and advantages will moreclearly appear from the detailed description given below taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing which forms a part of thisspecification and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the dispenser;

Fig. 2 is a transverse longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scalewith certain parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the with the glass cover removed;

Fig. 4 is a side view showing the inner sleeve assembly includingdispensing fingers in position; and

dispensing head Fig. 5 is a perspective view partly in section of theinner sleeve.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3; the dispensing head 1 is provided withsuitable attaching means 2 in the present form of a male V which isadapted to fit into a cooperating female groove formed in a supportingblock 3, and this device may be supported from a suitable wall portion.As is usual in such structures a suitable glass tube 4, which is closedat the top, may be provided for protecting the cups from dust.

The dispensing head comprises an outer shell 5 with dispensing mechanismsupported therein. The shell 5 has an inner cylindrical bore 6 andabutment or supporting means, which in the present embodiment takes theform of a plurality of circ' ferentially spaced pads or projections '7,on which the said mechanism rests. These pads are preferably providedwith a plurality of shoulders 8 and 9 for accommodating one or anotherdispensing mechanism of predetermined size to provide for dispensingcups of one or another size,

so that a single size device may be utilized for a range of sizes.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 2: an inner shell 10 comprises an upperoutwardly extending flange l1 and dependent sleeve 12. The sleeve 12 ispro vided with a plurality of axially extending and circumferentiallyspaced grooves 13 which ex= tend downwardly from the flange 11 andterminate in openings 14, which extend inwardly through the wall of thesleeve 12. The openings 14 are arranged in three groups, each of whichis in a respectively different plane and each of which groups comprisesthree equidistantly spaced openings. The under side of the flange 11 isprovided with an undercut annular groove v1.5 for the accommodation ofthe upper ends of resilient fingers 16 (Fig. 4'); the said fingers 18being seated in respectively corresponding grooves 13 and having theirlower ends 1'7 projecting inwardly.

For purposes of illustrating the respective 1205itions of the lower endsof the fingers the lowermost group will be designated 1'7, the nexthigher group 1'7 and the uppermost group 1'7", it being understood thatas in the case of the disposition of the openings 14 the said groups1'7, 1'7 and 1'7" 85 are arranged respectively in difierent planes andeach group comprising a plurality of inwardly projecting ends. Theseends project inwardly as illustrated in Fig. 2 in such manner as toengage the rims of cups beingdispensed. The resilient fingers 16 arerigidly secured at their upper ends contiguous to the flange 11 and forthis purpose the ring 18 may be employed although it is within thecontemplation of the invention that the springs may be clamped withinthe undercut groove 15 by means of squeezing inwardly on the flange 11.

The outer diameter of the flange 11 is of such size as to tightly fitwithin the bore 6 within which it is forcibly pressed until it lies uponthe supporting shoulder such as 8, to thereby at== tach the inner andouter shells integrally. In this position an annular space is providedbetween the outside of the inner shell and the inner wall of the outershell. The resilient fingers 16 are positioned within this space and arefully protected from either intentional or unintentional displacement orinterference while at the same time being permitted a sufllcient degreeof radial movement in order to permit the desired outward movement ofthe cup-engaging ends 1'7, etc. The nest of cups is normally Supportedon the upper-, most ends 1'7", whichengage the under side of the rim orlip of the lowermost cup of the series, and the parts are soproportioned that. the lowermost part of the body of the cup projectsbeyond the lower edge of the outer shell 5 to permit of readily graspingthe same for the purposes of withdrawal. To facilitate the withdrawal ofthe cups the inwardly projecting ends 117 etc. are preferably slightlyinclined downwardly. Upon pullingon the lowermost cup, the upper seriesof fingers are flexed outwardly permitting the cupengaging ends torecede outwardly through the shell 12 andthe lowermost cup then comesinto engagement with the second series of fingers which are acted uponin a similar manner and then with the third series of fingers which aresimilarly flexed permittingthe cup to be withdrawn from the device. Thepurpose of having a plurallty of cup-engaging ends in vertically spacedseries is to provide for resiliently holding successive cups of a serieswhile the first cup is being withdrawn to prevent more than one cupbeing withdrawn at a time, as is well understood in the art.

As will be readily appreciated from the foregoing, if it is desired touse the device for a smaller size cup'than that illustrated, a somewhatsmaller inner shell 10 similarly formed and constructed and carrying acorresponding assembly of resilient fingers may be inserted within theouter shell 5 and in such case will rest upon the lower series ofshoulders 9. By this provision it will be appreciated that it will onlybe necessary to provide difierent sizes of inner shell assemblies inorder to accommodate a given device for cups of different sizes; therebygreatly reducing the cost of production and the number of sizes ofdispensers necessary to carry in stock.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that if the dispenser is emptyand anyone attempts to distort or derange the inwardly projectingfingers, the same will be practically impossible since the only positionin which the fingers may be moved is in an outward direction, and thismovement is perfectly normal and is permitted due to the fiexure of thefingers. The extent of such movement may only conveniently be thedistance which the fingers project in the shell and the shell itselfwill preventsubstantial circumferential or axial displacement.

Having thus described my invention with particularity with reference toits preferred form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art,after understanding my invention, that other changes and modificationsmay be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention, and I aim in the appended claims to cover such changes andmodifications.

What I claim is:

1. In a cup dispenser, the combination of a dispensing head having outerand inner wall members, a plurality of downwardly extending resilientfingers circumferentially spaced and positioned between said inner andouter walls, said fingers being supported in said head from their upperends and having their lower ends proiecting inwardly beyond the innerwall to provide cup-engag ng portions, the downwardly ex- V 2. In a cupdispenser, the combination of a dispensing head having outer and innerwall members, a plurality of downwardly extending.

resilient fingers circumferentially spaced and positioned between saidinner and outer walls, said fingers being rigidly held in said head attheir upper ends and having their lower ends pro-' jecting inwardlythrough said inner wall to provide cup-engaging portions, the downwardlyextending resilient fingers being permitted sufiicient freedom ofmovement between said wall members to permit the cup-engaging endsthereof'to bemoved outwardly to permit the withdrawal of a cup, andthe'said inner wall provviding means for restricting thecircumferenprovided at their lower ends with inwardly projectingcup-engaging portions, the downwardly extending resilient fingers beingpermitted sufficient freedom of movement between said wa l members topermit the cup-engaging ends thereof to be moved outwardly to permit thefreewithdrawal of a cup.

4. In a cup dispenser, the combination of an outer 'shell, an innershell, a plurality of downwardly extending resilient fingers rigidlysecured to said inner shell adjacent their upper extremities andcircumfereritially disposed between said shells with limited freedom ofmovement in a radial direction and each provided with an inwardlyprojecting cup-engaging end, said ends extending inwardly beyond theinner face of the inner shell and said inner shell serving to concealand. protect the remaining portions of the resilient fingers, said endsbeing disposed in a plurality of substantially horizontal planes andthere being a plurality of said ends in each plane.

5. In a cup dispenser, the combination of an outer shell, an innershell, a plurality of downwardly extending resilient fingers whose upperends are rigidly secured to said inner shell, said fingers beingcircumferentially disposed between said shells and permitted limitedfree movement in a radial direction and each provided with an inwardlyprojecting cup-engaging end, said inner shell serving also to restrictcircumferential movement of said ends and to protect the remainingportions of the resilient fingers, said cupengaging ends being disposedin a plurality of substantially horizontal planes and there being aplurality of said ends in each plane.

6. In a cup dispenser, the combination of an outer shell, an innershell, a plurality of downwardly extending resilient fingers secured tosaid inner shell and circumferentially disposed between said shells withlimited freedom of movement in a radial direction and each provided withan inwardly projecting cup-engaging end, said ends extending inwardlythrough openings in said inner shell beyond the inner face thereof. andsaid inner shell serving to restrict the axial and circumferentialmovement of said ends and to conceal and protect the remaining portionsof the resilient fingers, said ends being disposed in a plurality ofsubstantially horizontal planes and there being a plurality of said endsin each p ane.

"I. In a cup dispenser, the combination of an outer shell provided withinterior supporting means, an inner shell comprising an outwardlyextending upper flange resting on said supporting means and whose outerperiphery engages the inner bore of said outer shell with a drive fit toform thereby an integral structure and a,

depending sleeve spaced inwardly from said outer shell to provide anannular chamber, a plurality of resilient fingers rigidly secured attheir upper ends to said flange lying adjacent to and extendingdownwardly substantially axially of and circumferentialiy disposed aboutsaid sleeve and lying within said chamber, said fingers being providedat their respective lower ends with inwardly projecting cup-*engagingends extending inwardl'y beyond the inner face of said sleeve, and saidends being disposed in a plurality of substantially horizontal planesand there being a plurality of ends in each plane.

8. In a cup dispenser having an outer supporting shell, the combinationof dispenser mechanism supported thereby and comprising a shell havingan upper outwardly extending flange and a dependent sleeve, said sleevebeing provided with a plurality of axially extending substan--

